Forget and Not Slow Down
by theMagicBehindtheMask
Summary: The birds have a  very repetitive  heart-to-heart on a warm day at the beach. Songfic. Kind of.


I don't own anything but this computer and the plot. I don't own the songs, the characters, the setting- nothin'.

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Forget and Not Slow Down-

The sun sparkling on the water entranced her, keeping her gaze on the ocean she sat before. The motion of the waves on the rocky shore lulled her into a meditative pose as she floated over the sandy beach. She was momentarily distracted when a certain _green shapeshifter_ splashed water on her, but slipped back into the meditation she so desperately needed after he had been sufficiently frightened for his life. The sound of her team's antics brought a small, uncharacteristic smile to her lips, and she opened her eyes and settled on the beach so she could watch them.

Beastboy was currently staying as far away from Raven as possible, so as not to incur her wrath. When he met her eyes, he gulped and quickly changed into a dolphin, jumping further into the clear blue water. Behind him was Starfire, easily keeping up as she flew through the water. Literally, 'flew.' She had once told Raven, with an air of guilt, that whenever Beastboy asked her to race, she would fly underwater to beat him. _'It is only fair you see, if friend Beastboy is allowed to use his powers, then I should be allowed to use mine.' _she had said. Raven had inwardly chuckled at her obvious remorse and agreed. It _was _only fair after all. The fact that Beastboy didn't even notice was proof enough that it didn't matter.

Acting as referee for the two hooligans was Cyborg, who had finally found a way to get in the water without get his circuitry wet. He had been ecstatic when he had finalized the technology, and had insisted that they all go swimming as soon as the weather allowed, which was why they were all here. He guffawed suddenly when Starfire dunked Beastboy in an attempt to win, and Beastboy came up spluttering, glaring at his best friend.

Robin was currently- wait, where _was_ Robin?

"Boo."

Raven jumped backwards, her hand colliding with a smirking face as she fell backwards into Robin's arms. When his rumbling chuckle reached her ears she turned around to hit him again, but he held his hands up in surrender and sat beside her on the sand.

She shot him a look that she normally reserved for Beastboy and turned back to look at the rest of their team, who had apparently taken up a game of Marco Polo.

"So what are you thinking about?" he drawled as he leaned back on his hands. It was a good question; one that she wasn't entirely sure she knew the answer to.

What _had_ she been thinking about?

She had been so caught up in watching her friends that she had completely forgotten what she had been meditating for in the first place. She looked to the heavens, aware that Robin was expecting an answer, but where the sky should have been a light periwinkle it was the color of fire, and it reflected like blood in the waves. Her beloved home was burning, and her father stood in the middle of it all. A single blink and the vision dissipated, but it was enough to remind her about her guilt. Looking to Robin, she answered.

"My transgressions... and my father."

All humor was gone from Robin's face as he peered into her eyes, no doubt trying to see her soul. Undaunted, she stared back.

"That wasn't your fault."

"Really Robin? Wasn't it? How many times can I push it aside? I can't just ignore it. Maybe... is it time I befriended all the ghosts of all the things that haunt me the most?"

He pulled back, confused by her sudden change in direction. "Why?"

She answered honestly. "So they leave me alone, and I can move on with my life. Be certain of the steps from left to right, don't fight the direction of upright."

"Maybe it's time you did. Make peace with yourself, I mean."

She sighed. "I'd rather forget and not slow down than gather regret for the things I can't change now. There's no point."

"But sometimes regret is the only thing that keeps us from doing something horrible a second time."

He was baiting her, trying to get her to fall to his verbal puzzles, and she responded in kind.

"If I become what I can't accept, then I shall simply have to... resurrect the saint from deep within the wretch I would be. And support from my team would pour over me and wash my hands of it."

He nodded, satisfied with her answer, and the pair fell into a comfortable silence, broken only by the laughter of the teens in the ocean.

After the passage of a couple of minutes, it was _her_ voice that broke the silence. "It's time to decide."

"What are we deciding?" He asked, shaking himself out of a slight doze.

She turned to him, capturing his gaze with her own. "Which is out of my mind- my father, or me."

He snorted, "Your father is dead. The choice is obvious."

She continued as though she had never heard him, "Because it will be me unless I put some thoughts to rest."

His eyes softened as her regarded her closely, "And maybe you need to leave some thoughts behind."

A strange light hit her eyes, and she looked out on the horizon. "It's so strange; being able to feel emotion without blowing anything up. It's become so much easier to control my powers since my father stopped influencing them."

Unsure of her direction, he stayed silent.

"I'm a creature of habit though. I'll watch the gleam in my eye, and shine off the spring in my step, because it can be blinding depending on-" She paused to gather herself, "on the amount of_ you_ that I reflect. Your influence shows up in everything I do."

"My influence?"

"Your unstoppable optimism. I'm afraid it's piercing through my cynical views on life."

He laughed, "Oh really? How so?"

"It's made me realize that I can't change the past." She shrugged, just a microscopic movement of her shoulders, "I could spend my life just_ trying_ to sift through what I could have done better, but you've shown me that I don't have to. What good do 'what if's do?"

He moved closer to her side, and moved his hand to cover hers where it lay in the sand. "Rae, there's something... I should tell you now. I-"

She quickly cut him off, "I'd rather forget, and not slow down, Robin, than gather regrets for the things I can't change now." He opened his mouth to cut her off, but she beat him to it. "If I become what I can't accept, then it will be up to _you_ to resurrect the saint from within the wretch. You will pour over me and wash my hands."

"Raven, I think you should pour over _me _and wash _my_ hands. As you said, I could spend my life just trying to sift through what I could've done better, but what good do 'what if's do?"

"Robin-"

"Let me finish. There's something I should tell you."

"Robin _wait-_"

"There's something I should tell you _now_."

She closed her mouth and cast her eyes downwards. He placed his gloveless fingers under her chin and lifted up her face, forcing her to make eye contact with him.

"I'd rather forget and not slow down than gather regrets for the things_ I_ can't change now, too. And if I become what I can't accept, and don the Red X outfit again, or something just as stupid, then _you_ will resurrect the saint from within the wretch, just like the last time. We're only human, and we all make mistakes. We slip up sometimes."

He sighed, and his hand moved to cup her cheek, "I'd rather forget and not slow down than gather regrets for the things I can't change now. If I become what I can't accept, then resurrect the saint from within the wretch. It'll be up to you. I'll be here for you, just like you are here for me. I want you to believe that, no matter how many times it's said."

"I do, Robin. You guys are my family, and I know that you'll be there to help me when I need it, but there are some things that I need to do alone."

"Not anymore, there aren't. Face it Rae, we're not going to let you do anything by yourself, not if we can help you. You're stuck." He grinned as he said it, shooting a warm look in her direction.

"You guys can't help me forget the things I've done, no matter how hard you'd try. No, I have to do this on my own. I can't live with this guilt anymore." She shook her head ruefully, "I'd rather forget and not slow down-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he smiled, "'Than gather regret for the things you can't change now,' you told me before."

"But Robin, if I become what I can't accept, then you have to promise me that you'll resurrect-"

He shook his head and covered her mouth with his hand, effectively cutting off her speech. "No, Raven. _We'll_ resurrect." He placed her hands in her lap, the lay his palms over hers, wrapping his slender fingers around her wrist. "Pour over me and wash my hands-"

She switched their positions, flipping their hands over so his large palm held hers comfortably. "Pour over me, and wash my hands of it."

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